Arts & Entertainment

'Joliet State of Mind'—Joliet Rapper Pens Anthem For Hometown

Joliet DOE recently released "Joliet State of Mind" and will play Mojoes May 29.

From his name to his music to the shirts he sells at shows, rapper Joliet DOE is proud of where he comes from and where he still lives.

"Just having pride in Joliet," DOE said of his recent release, "Joliet State of Mind."


"I love my city, no matter what I'm doing," said DOE, who went by Arlynd Edwards before he started making music. 

DOE said he launched his label Kouple Grand Entertainment while living in Atlanta in 2006. Before that, he was raised in Joliet and met his label Co-CEO Damien Dougherty at Gompers Junior High.

DOE recalled selling CDs out of the trunk of his car when he started out. He still records CDs, for himself and other artists at his studio, but also puts all his music online.

"I can record a song right now, mix it down, have it sounding good and put it on my Facebook page" for thousands of people to hear, DOE said.

And that's what he does every day.

"This is my job: music," he said. "This is how I make a living."

But with music essentially available for free online, DOE has branched out to recording other artists, doing photography and video work, and selling T-shirts bearing the logo "#815ISH." The "ISH" stands for "Independently Sold Hustle" and the 815, of course, is the area code for his hometown, of which he is fiercely proud.

That pride is evident in his rap name, both the first half, "Joliet," and the second, "DOE," which is a tribute to the Parkwood neighborhood where he grew up as well as to Ice Cube, who played a character named "Doughboy" in the film Boyz in the Hood.

"What that shirt represents is basically everybody here being proud of being from Joliet," he said. "Everybody that just represents Joliet. Music is the foundation of that. People follow the music and they follow the movement."

DOE has been performing in Chicago but will play in his hometown for the first time in two years May 29. He is scheduled to appear at Mojoes and will be joined on stage by rapper Kias Cade.

DOE also is working on his next album, King Sincere. King and Sincere are the nicknames of his two sons, DOE explained.

DOE plans to include "Joliet State of Mind" on the new album, which will feature music that reflects his life.

"I'm not in the streets. I don't gangbang. I make hip hop music," DOE said. "I make music that I like, and the people that like my music, I make it for them."

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